PENN HILLS, Pa. -- People in the Penn Hills area told Channel 4 Action News reporter Ari Hait they didn't just lose a vacant building in a fire Thursday, but they said they lost a piece of local history.
Flames could be seen shooting from all three floors of the former Hippo's Pub when firefighters arrived just before 5 a.m. at the intersection of Verona and Coal Hollow roads.
It took about an hour for firefighters to bring the flames under control. There were no reported injuries, but Sky 4 video shows the building was a total loss, and fire officials said it could collapse at any minute. A demolition team hoped to knock it down later Thursday.
"Upon arrival, it was fully involved on all three floors. And I made a command to do an exterior attack only for our firefighter safety," said Chief Matt Henshaw of the Rosedale volunteer fire department.
The original "Hippo" -- David Grasso -- stood and watched as his place burned down.
"Lot of good memories. We had a lot of fun in this building. It was one of the most popular bars around," said Grasso's brother-in law, Guy Pratillo.
The building is about 100 years old, making it one of the oldest building in Penn Hills. The building started off as a department store and was Hippo's for three decades in the late 1900s. It changed hands and changed names a couple of years ago, but has been vacant for several months.
Folks in Penn Hills said it will always be Hippo's to them.
"There are a lot of people my age and younger who will certainly remember the good times that they've had here," said Penn Hills municipal clerk Diane Fitzhenry. "What a shock is just to see it on the news and then it don't register in the morning. And then it's gee, that roof looks familiar and here it's . . .Oh my god."
Pratillo says he doesn't know what will be done with the property. The Allegheny County fire marshal must complete an investigation first and determine what caused the blaze.
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